Electrical outlet fixture



Dec. 24, 1935. 1 H. MOULTHROP 2,025,214

' ELECTRICAL OUTLET FIXTURE Filed Feb. 12, 1955 /f/s ATTORNEY5 Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT CFFICE ELECTRICAL OUTLET FIXTURE Application February 12, 1935, Serial No. 6,170

f1 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical outlet xtures and more particularly concerns outlet xtures of the type adapted to receive the current conducting blades of attachment plugs connected l, to lights or other electrical appliances.

Electric current for extension lights or other portable electrical appliances used in buildings is usually conducted from a suitable source to an outlet box or equivalent fixture permanently installed in the baseboard, wall or :door of a room. It is frequently desirable to provide outlet xtures which may be readily secured to a surface support, such as a baseboard, wall or oor, without cutting an opening in the supporting surface, L.) such fixtures being wired to previously installed outlet boxes or other sources of current by means of an exposed insulated cord. It is also desirable in some cases to provide portable outlet xtures which may be used on tables or floors or in other temporary locations, such portable xtures being wired to a permanent wall or oor outlet box by a suitable exible cord and attachment plug. The present invention has for its object the provision of an improved electrical outlet xture'of the type adapted for either surface mounting orportable use. Another object of the invention comprises the provision of an outlet xture and simplified attachment means cooperating therewith for securing the xture to a Christmas tree or other temporary support.

The improved outlet fixture of my invention comprises generally a casing or body portion provided With one or more pairs of spaced openings for the reception of the contact blades of attachment plugs, the construction and arrangement of the body portion being such that a current conducting cord or cable may pass therethrough from end to end thereof Without interruption and Without increasing the size of the body portion beyond that required to accommodate the plug contact blades inserted in the body and the terminal` clips within the body which engage these blades. A closure member is provided for the rear face of the ixture, and in accordance with one aspect of the invention, I provide a simple form of attachment means cooperating with the body portion and closure member and serving to secure the fixture to a. support such as a Christmas tree, on or adjacent which electric lights or other electrical devices are to be used. I prefer to construct the improved outlet fixture and attaching means in such a manner that the number of electrical outlets provided may be varied. e

In describing the invention, reference will be y made to the accompanying drawing in which an embodiment thereof has been shown. In the drawing;

Figure 1 is a. plan view of an outlet fixture embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a rear plan view of the outlet xtur-e with the closure member removed;

Figures 3 and 4 are sectional views, taken respectively along the lines 3-3 and 4 4 of Figure 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows; lo

Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views, taken respectively along the lines 5-5 and 6--6 of Figure 2 and viewed in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 7 is a plan view of the outlet fixture attachment means ofv my invention; 15

Figure 8 is a sectional view showing one form of my improved outlet xture secured to a support;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the closure member of the outlet fixture shown in Figure 8; 2o

Figure 10 is a sectional view showing another form of outlet xture embodying the invention attached to a support; and

Figure 11 is a plan view of the closure member of the outlet fixture shown in Figure 10.

The embodiment of my improved outlet fixture shown in the drawing, comprises generally a substantially hollow casing or body portion B preferably formed of molded insulating material, and

a back closure member or plate P therefor, pref- 30 erably formed of bre board or other suitable insulating material. The body portion B is provided on its front face plate I5 with a plurality of pairs of slots or openings I2 for the reception of the usual contact blades of attachment plugs. 35 Any desired number of pairs of plug blade slots may be provided and in the disclosed embodiment, three pairs of slots are used.

As best shown in Figures 2 to 6, the body portion B is hollow, having connected side walls I3 and end walls I4 extending rearwardly from the front face plate I5 through which the plug blade slots I2 are formed. The rearward face of the body portion B is open to give access to the interior thereof whereby the electrical connections may be made. The side Walls I3 are provided with inwardly extending enlargements I6, the longitudinal ends of which terminate short of the end walls I4, as shown in Figure 2, andthe rearward edges of which terminate short of the 6o rear edges of the side Walls I3, as shown in Figure 5.

2 and 5. Oppositely disposed aligned openings or slots I9 are provided in the walls I8 of the recesses I1 along the outer sides thereof, as

shown in Figure 2, and these openings extend to the rearward edges of the recess walls I8.

AV bus bar or conducting strip 20 extends through the aligned openings I9 on each side of the body portion B and carries a plurality of U- shaped spring terminal clips 2|, each of which -extends into one of the recesses I'I, as shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5. In this manner, a spring terminal clip 2| is disposed behind each slot I2 Afor engagement with an attachment plug contact blade inserted through the slot. One end of each of the bus bars 20 is o-set, as shown at 22, about one end of the adjacent side wall enlargement I6, and is provided with a horizontal extension 23 carrying a screw or binding post 24, as shown -in Figures 2, 4 and'. The extension 23 is supported by suitable shoulders or abutments 25, as shown in Figures 4 and 6.

Two .spaced central bolt or screw holes 26 are provided through the body portion B and the rearwardly extending posts 2'I thereof, as clearly shown in Figure 3, whereby bolts, screws or other fastening devices may be passed through but insulated from the interior of the body portion. The holes 26 are preferably countersunk, as shown at 28, in the front plates I5 of the body. Each end wall of the body B is provided with a centralcord opening 29 extending to the rearward edge, as shown. The insulating rear plate or closure member P is formed to t within the side and end walls I3 and I4 of the body portion B and to rest against the rearward edges of the side wall enlargements, the recess walls I8 and posts 21, as shown in Figures 3 and 5.

'I'he described outlet fixture may be used as a surface-mounted or portable device, as desired. With the closure member P removed, the current supplying cord or cable 30 is passed through the opening 29 at-the end of the body portion B remote from the bus bar binding posts 24 and is bent laterally to pass around opposite sides of the two central posts 21. 'Ihe twowires 3| of the cord 30 are bared and respectively secured beneath the opposite'binding posts 24 and if itis desired that the cord l3|I extend beyond the fixture to vother fixtures or appliances, the wires 3| are not severed but continue into the cord 30 and pass out through the end wall opening 29 adjacent the binding posts 24. lThe closure member P isthen tted 'in place andvif the device is to be mounted on a surface, suitable screws 32 are passed vthrough the holes 28 and'through aligned holes 4ure 10.

In accordance with one aspect of .my invention,

improved means are provided for attaching the I outlet fixture to a. support suc/las a column or It is frequently desired to provide a Christmas tree or other decorative object with a. plurality of miniature electric lamps which are customarily connected in series circuits. Frequently, a plurality of such series `lamp circuits are required, 5 and a multiple outlet xture attached to the tree Ior other object at a central point permits the convenientfand symmetrical arrangement of the series lamp circuits on the decorative object.

My improved attachment means comprises 10 'generally an element detachably secured to the outlet fixture body by the closure plate or other closure member thereof, together with means on the element for attaching it to a tree trunk, branch or other support. As shown in Figures 15 'I and 8, the element A engaging the outlet xture comprises a plane part 35 having a slot 36 therethrough adjacent the outer end thereof, and carrying a curved flange 3l at right angles to the part 36 along the inner end thereof. A narrow 20 slot 38 is provided in each side wall enlargement I6 of the outlet fixture body B, each of these slots being of a length and depth sufficient to accommodate the angular ange 3'I of the attachment element A. The element A is preferably. formed g5 of resilient metal and the curvature of the flange 31 is so related to the width of the slot 38 that a firm engagement is secured, one side of the slot being engaged by one surface of the flange at the ends thereof and the central portion of the Aa0 opposite side of the flange engaging the other side of the slot.

I'he attachment element A may be locked within one of the slots 38 in various ways. As shown in Figure 8, two of the outlet fixture bodies B 85 may be secured together with a closure member P' of double thickness therebetween, suitable bolts and nuts being employed to fasten the` bodies together, as shown at 39. As shown in Figure 9, the sides of the closure member P' are 40 recessed or cut back at .49 by an amount suiiicient to clear the slots 38 in the b ody portions, thus permitting the flange 3l of the attachment element Av to enter one of the slots 38. The rearward edges of the side walls I3 of the bodies B 45 are provided with similar recesses 4I which cooperate to provide a space between the parts through which the plane part 35 of the attachmentf element may pass. When the body portions B are connected together, the flanged at- 50 taohment element A is securely locked therebetween with the flange 3I in one of the slots 38.

Various means may be provided for fastening the attachment element A to the desired support. In the disclosed embodiment, a strap 42 of light 55 and readily bendable metal is used for this purpose and is xed adjacent one' end in the slot 35 in the element'A. The strap 42 is passed completely around the Christmas tree trunk or branch or any other similar support represented 60 at 43, and is then threaded through the slot 36v and bent down sharply against the plane portion 35 of the element A, as shown in Figures 8 and 10. With this arrangement, the attachment element may without change be secured to tree e5 trunks or other supports 4oi' various peripheral dimensions, and if a smaller support 43 is provided, the end of the strap 42 is merely wrapped around the support, as shown in Figure 10.

If it is desired to employ one outlet body-section B only, a closure member P of the type shown in Figure 1,1 is employed. 'Ihis closure member has side edge cut-out portions or recesses 44 with central lugs 45 therein. An opening 46 is formed post, or the trunk or branch of a Christmas tree. V.in the attachment element A centrally of the flange 31 and at the point of juncture between the flange 31 and the plane part 35, as shown in Figures '1, 8 and 10. After the ange 31 has been inserted in the' body slot 38, the closure member P is secured in place by the fastening means 34 and the lug 45 enters the opening 46 and bears on the flange 31 at the bottom of this opening, thereby locking the attachment element in place.

The outlet fixture of the invention is very `compact due particularly to the fact that the cord 30 passes between the terminal clips 2l so that the body of the fixture need not be appreciably deeper or wider than the dimensions imposed by the size and spacing of the contact blades of an attachment plug. The central posts 21 surrounding the openings 26 through-the xture body cooperate with the walls I8 of the terminal clip recesses I1 to frictionally engage the cord 30 and thus relieve the binding posts 24 of any strain imposed on the cord. The attachment means is simple and sturdy and the manner in which it is secured to the outlet fixture permits the use oi' one or two outlet bodies, as desired.

I claim:

1. In an electrical outlet xture, in combination, a body portion comprising al front face plate having attachment plug blade openings there through, walls extending rearwardly from said face plate, said body portion having an access opening between the rearward edges of said walls and a rearwardly opening slot in the rearward edge of at least one of said walls, an element having a ange extending into said slot and a part extending outwardly from said body portion at an angle to said iiange over the rearward edge of the wall carrying said slot, means detachably connected to said body portion over said access opening in locking engagement with said element and means for connecting the outwardly extending part of said element to a support.

2. In an electrical outlet iixture, in combination, a body portion comprising a front face plate having attachment plug blade openingstherethrough, walls extending rearwardly from said face plate, said body portion having an access opening between the rearward edges` of said walls, an attachment element including a flange extending within said body portion and a part extending at an angle to said flange outwardly 5 from said body portion over the rearward edge of one of said walls, said attachment elementy having an opening therein, a rear closure plate removably connected to said body portion over said access opening and an extension on said 10 closure plate entering said opening in said attachment element and locking said attachment element to said body portion.

3. In an electrical outlet iixture, in combination, a body portion comprising a front face plate 15 having attachment plug blade openings therethrough, walls extending rearwardly from said face plate, said body portion having an access opening between the rearward edges of said walls, an attachment element having a part extending 20 withinsaid body portion, means for securing said attachment element to a support, a rear closure plate removably connected to said body portion over said access opening and means on said closure plate for locking said attachment ele- 25 ment part within said body portio 4. In an electrical outlet xture, in combination, a body portion comprising a i'ront face plate having attachment plug blade openings therethrough, walls extending rearwardly from said 30 face plate, said body portion having an access opening between the rearward edges of said wall and a rearwardly opening slot in the rearward edge of at least one of said walls, an attachment element including a ange extending 35 into said slot and a part extending at an angle to said ange outwardly from said body portion over the rearward edge 'of the wall carrying said slot, said attachment element having an opening therein adjacent said slot, a rear closure 49 plate removably connected to said body portion over said access opening and a lug on said closure plate entering said opening in said attachment element -and locking said ange in said slot.

LEMBERT H. MOULTHROP. 

